Tafsir

The Trade that saves One from the Painful Torment

We mentioned a Hadith from `Abdullah bin Salam in that the Companions wanted to ask the Prophet of Allah about the best actions with Allah the Exalted and Most Honored, so they could practice them. Allah the Exalted sent down this Surah, including this Ayah,يأَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ ءَامَنُواْ هَلْ أَدُلُّكمْ عَلَى تِجَـرَةٍ تُنجِيكُم مِّنْ عَذَابٍ أَلِيمٍ (O you who believe! Shall I guide you to a trade that will save you from a painful torment) Allah then explained this great trade that will never fail, the trade that will earn one what he wishes and saves him from what he dislikes. Allah the Exalted said,تُؤْمِنُونَ بِاللَّهِ وَرَسُولِهِ وَتُجَـهِدُونَ فِى سَبِيلِ اللَّهِ بِأَمْوَلِكُمْ وَأَنفُسِكُمْ ذَلِكُمْ خَيْرٌ لَّكُمْ إِن كُنتُمْ تَعْلَمُونَ (That you believe in Allah and His Messenger, and that you strive hard and fight in the cause of Allah with your wealth and your lives, that will be better for you, if you but know!) this is better than the trade of this life and striving hard for it and amassing it.

Allah the Exalted said,يَغْفِرْ لَكُمْ ذُنُوبَكُمْ(He will forgive you your sins,) meaning, `if you fulfill what I commanded you and guided you to, then I will forgive your sins and admit you into the Gardens of Paradise. In them, you will have exalted residences and high postitions.' This is why Allah the Exalted said,وَيُدْخِلْكُمْ جَنَّـتٍ تَجْرِى مِن تَحْتِهَا الاٌّنْهَـرُ وَمَسَـكِنَ طَيِّبَةً فِى جَنَّـتِ عَدْنٍ ذَلِكَ الْفَوْزُ الْعَظِيمُ(and admit you into Gardens under which rivers flow, and pleasant dwellings in `Adn (Eternal) Paradise; that is indeed the great success.) Allah said,وَأُخْرَى تُحِبُّونَهَا(And also another (blessing) which you love,) meaning, `I will grant you more favors that you like,'نَصْرٌ مِّن اللَّهِ وَفَتْحٌ قَرِيبٌ(help from Allah and a near victory.) meaning, if you fight in Allah's cause and support His religion, He will grant you victory. Allah the Exalted said,يأَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ ءَامَنُواْ إِن تَنصُرُواْ اللَّهَ يَنصُرْكُمْ وَيُثَبِّتْ أَقْدَامَكُمْ (O you who believe!

If you help (in the cause of) Allah, He will help you, and make your foothold firm.) (47:7), and,وَلَيَنصُرَنَّ اللَّهُ مَن يَنصُرُهُ إِنَّ اللَّهَ لَقَوِىٌّ عَزِيزٌ(Verily, Allah will help those who help His (cause). Truly, Allah is All Strong, All-Wise.) (22:40) Allah's statement,وَفَتْحٌ قَرِيبٌ(and a near victory.) means, it will come sooner, and this is the increased favor that is earned in this life and continues, becoming the delight of the Hereafter. It is for those who obey Allah and His Messenger and support Allah and His religion. Allah said;وَبَشِّرِ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ(And give glad tidings to the believers.)

وَأُخْرَ‌ىٰ تُحِبُّونَهَا ۖ نَصْرٌ‌ مِّنَ اللَّـهِ وَفَتْحٌ قَرِ‌يبٌ (And [ He will give you ] another thing that you love: Help from Allah, and a victory, near at hand ...61:13) This verse adds that the blessings of this trade are not restricted to the Hereafter. There is one blessing that will be granted right here in this world, which is the Divine help and an imminent victory, that is, conquests of enemy territories. If the word qarib (near) is taken as the opposite of Hereafter, it would include all later Islamic conquests of Arab and non-Arab territories. And if the word qarib (near) is taken in its normal sense, it would, in the first instance, apply to the conquest of Khaibar, and in the second instance it would apply to the Conquest of Makkah. This 'near victory' is referred to as تُحِبُّونَهَا "that you love". It implies that this worldly blessing is dear to man, because he is by nature haste-prone as the Qur'an says وَكَانَ الْإِنسَانُ عَجُولًا "...and man is prone to haste. [ 17:11] This, however, does not imply that the blessings of the Hereafter are not dear to him.

It simply means that the love of seeking the blessings of the Hereafter is quite obvious, but he naturally would love to have the blessings of this world as well. They too will be granted to him.

إن فعلتم -أيها المؤمنون- ما أمركم الله به يستر عليكم ذنوبكم، ويدخلكم جنات تجري من تحت أشجارها الأنهار، ومساكن طاهرة زكية في جنات إقامة دائمة لا تنقطع، ذلك هو الفوز الذي لا فوز بعده. ونعمة أخرى لكم- أيها المؤمنون- تحبونها هي نصر من الله يأتيكم، وفتح عاجل يتم على أيديكم. وبشِّر المؤمنين -أيها النبي- بالنصر والفتح في الدنيا، والجنة في الآخرة.

ثم قال : ( وأخرى تحبونها ) أي : وأزيدكم على ذلك زيادة تحبونها ، وهي : ( نصر من الله وفتح قريب ) أي : إذا قاتلتم في سبيله ونصرتم دينه ، تكفل الله بنصركم . قال الله تعالى : ( يا أيها الذين آمنوا إن تنصروا الله ينصركم ويثبت أقدامكم ) [ محمد : 7 ] وقال تعالى : ( ولينصرن الله من ينصره إن الله لقوي عزيز ) [ الحج : 40 ] وقوله ( وفتح قريب ) أي : عاجل فهذه الزيادة هي خير الدنيا موصول بنعيم الآخرة ، لمن أطاع الله ورسوله ، ونصر الله ودينه ; ولهذا قال : ( وبشر المؤمنين )